Lithuanian authorities warned Thursday of a surge in disinformation and conspiracy theories following a major fire at a liquefied gas terminal outside Vilnius.
The National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) said the blaze was purely accidental and unrelated to outside interference, but accused hostile foreign outlets of exploiting the incident to spread fear and discredit state institutions.
“This is a technogenic incident that has nothing to do with external actions,” the centre said in a statement. “However, information channels controlled by hostile states are making great efforts to create a sense of insecurity among the Lithuanian population and to discredit the work of state institutions responsible for national security and participating in the firefighting operation.”
The fire began Wednesday morning when eight tank cars and later a stationary reservoir ignited at a site in Baltoji Vokė, southeast of the capital. One employee was injured and hospitalised, according to officials.
Orlen Lithuania, the country’s main oil company, confirmed the tankers involved belonged to the company, though the incident occurred on property belonging to Jozita, a local firm.
Roughly 50 firefighters were still battling the flames Thursday, authorities said, with the blaze not yet fully contained.
The NKVC noted that disinformation about the fire was being spread by the same outlets – including Pravda News – that circulated false claims after a DHL cargo plane crash in Lithuania last November.
“We urge citizens not to get involved in spreading conspiracy theories, not to make the work of hostile states easier, and to remain vigilant,” the centre said.
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